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Powerhouse Theater

Sit front row to groundbreaking works for the American theater. Each summer brings new and exciting works to the stage and enjoyable workshops.

A group of six people, wearing white clothing, sit closely together on stage at the Powerhouse Theater. Some look upwards, others forward. A piano player is visible in the background, creating a scene of deep concentration and emotional connection.
Photo by Buck Lewis courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

Photos Courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

The Powerhouse Theater Season, a creative product of Vassar College is where you can be in the front row of the next big hit! Each summer, for six weeks starting in late June, Powerhouse puts on a fantastic season of plays, musicals, free reading, and training programs. Annually, Powerhouse brings together some of today’s most influential theatrical voices and welcomes the next generation of theater artists as members of this renowned training program.   

This summer’s Powerhouse Season will be presented at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY from  June 21 through July 28, 2024. For more information, visit vassar.edu/powerhouse

Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater presents groundbreaking new works for the American theater, with countless subsequent productions in New York City, regionally and internationally. Since 1985, Powerhouse has welcomed artists and students of the highest caliber to the Vassar College campus from Lynn Nottage to John Patrick Stanley and from Taylor Mac to Sarah DeLappe.

Powerhouse strives to nurture passionate theater lovers from students to professional practitioners and audience members. Together, these blossoming members can learn from one another. The Powerhouse Theater Training Program provides aspiring theater professionals a chance to immerse themselves in acting, directing, and playwrighting. Throughout the program’s run, there will also be free performances for the public to enjoy. Initially established as a joint endeavor with New York Stage and Film, Vassar College continues to produce The Powerhouse Season, alongside new partnerships with theater institutions and individual artists. Together, a community is created giving time, space, and voices to the artists of the American theater.

This summer’s program features play workshops such as Absolute Zero, a lesbian spy-thriller, Messy White Gays, a murder comedy, and readings of works such as This Place is Definitely Haunted, following several groups in haunted locations and the desire to scare the living daylights out of ourselves and each other, Possessed, a dramedy dealing with mental illness, and the idea of leaving home, Holes in the Shape of My Father, which explores the nuances of boys who grew up without a father, and more. The Training Company will also present two classic Shakespeare plays, The Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night, and a brand new Soundpainting production We Are Gathered Together, which will be an ensemble-based improvised show, and more.

Two men are engrossed in conversation indoors. One gestures with both hands, headphones around his neck, while the other listens attentively, donning a flat cap and orange shirt. Music stands are in front of them, hinting at their shared passion for entertainment at the Powerhouse Theater.

Photo by Buck Lewis courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

A powerhouse performer dressed in a vibrant green feathered costume with an elaborate headpiece sings on stage. Musicians in the background play a double bass and a drum set, set against a blue-lit backdrop, creating an electrifying atmosphere at the Powerhouse Theater.

Photo by Buck Lewis courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

Notably, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s  Hamilton and Stephen Karam’s The Humans—the 2016 Tony®  winners for Best Musical and Best Play, respectively—received early development at Powerhouse, as did two daring new works that were named finalists for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Sarah DeLappe’s  The Wolves, and Taylor Mac’s  A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. They are joined by dozens of other celebrated projects.

Come see for yourself!

Three women stand in front of a red wooden wall, embodying the spirit of a Powerhouse performance. The woman on the left holds a guitar, the middle wears a black veil and dress, adding theatrical flair, while the woman on the right cradles her ukulele and flaunts curly blonde hair.

Photo by Buck Lewis courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

Two women stand behind podiums on the Powerhouse Theater stage, raising their right fists. They appear expressive and engaged. Two other individuals are partially visible in the background, one sitting and one obscured, enhancing the dynamic performance or speech atmosphere.

Photo by Buck Lewis courtesy of Powerhouse Theater

Take Amtrak to Powerhouse Theater

Experience Powerhouse Theater via Amtrak to Poughkeepsie Station—Don’t forget to use Amtrak’s See New York and Save 15% discount!

Get picked up from Poughkeepsie Station and taken to your reserved NYTRAIN Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Click here to reserve your car or call the Poughkeepsie office today at: (845) 485-2222.